RevOps Lab

Eric Portugal Welsh, Head of RevOps at PlanetScale and returning guest on the RevOps Lab, joins Janis and Philipp to share how he went from leading a team of six to operating as a solo RevOps function — and how AI is making that possible. Eric walks through his full AI stack, his vibe coding journey, and the specific agents and workflows he's built to automate everything from pipeline reviews to stakeholder communication to onboarding himself at a new company.We cover:Going from a RevOps team of six to a team of one — and why that's the PlanetScale modelThe full AI stack: Claude, Cursor, Cowork, Gemini, Notion AI — and when to use whichHow Eric onboarded himself in days instead of weeks using Claude and Notion agentsVibe coding a full pipeline dashboard from a single Salesforce history report in 90 minutesWhy PlanetScale's head of finance hasn't opened Excel in months — everything is vibe codedBuilding agents for weekly status updates, pipeline prep, and Slack-based Q&AA communication agent that mirrors the COO's tone and preempts his questionsThe Monday morning pipeline agent: auto-generated executive overviews before the 8:30 callWhy VPs of sales and CROs are the heaviest AI users — not the repsHow the CRM interaction model is shifting from reports and record pages to chat interfacesPractical vibe coding tips: build an acceptance criteria doc first, then prompt the buildThe scaling challenge: why open data works at 65 people but breaks at 500+RevOps as the orchestration layer for AI-powered go-to-market workflowsEric Portugal Welsh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericwelsh1/ PlanetScale: https://www.planetscale.com Weflow: https://www.getweflow.com RevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/community RevOps Letter: https://www.getweflow.com/revopsletter Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: (00:00:00) Introduction & Eric's Return to the Pod (00:00:53) From Deputy to PlanetScale: RevOps Team of One (00:03:45) The Full AI Stack: Claude, Cursor, Gemini, Notion AI (00:05:05) Self-Onboarding with AI: Days Instead of Weeks (00:08:40) Claude vs. Gemini vs. ChatGPT: What Works Best (00:11:45) Vibe Coding a Pipeline Dashboard in 90 Minutes (00:12:20) PlanetScale's Head of Finance: Zero Spreadsheets in Months (00:13:25) Getting Started with Vibe Coding: Tips for RevOps (00:17:55) Practical Tip: Build Acceptance Criteria Before Prompting (00:19:15) More AI Use Cases: Cloning Yourself as a Team of One (00:21:05) Weekly Status Agents & Notion-Based Slack Q&A Bots (00:23:10) The Monday Morning Pipeline Agent (00:24:20) Communication Agent: Matching the COO's Tone & Style (00:25:45) Context: 65-Person Company, 85% Engineers, Open Data Culture (00:27:10) Why This Will Come to Every RevOps Team — and the Scaling Challenges (00:29:20) Agentic Content Creation for Outbound Sequences (00:31:30) Why VPs of Sales Are the Heaviest AI Users (00:33:45) The Future: Chat-Based CRM Interaction Over Reports and Record Pages (00:36:00) RevOps as the AI Orchestration Layer (00:37:05) Book Recommendation & Wrap-Up

Stephen Diorio, author of "Revenue Operations" and a go-to-market strategy veteran with decades of experience — from co-founding one of the first GTM strategy firms in 1993 to serving as a Gartner analyst — joins Janis and Philipp to unpack the math of growth. Stephen explains why the financial systems behind most B2B organizations fundamentally fail to measure what actually drives revenue, and how RevOps can close the gap between what the business spends on growth and what it actually gets back.We cover:Why traditional accounting treats all go-to-market spend as expense — and why that's fundamentally wrongGrowth assets: databases, brands, digital channels, content — and why no one measures their valueThe bow tie model: what it captures, what it misses, and why the back end is where CFOs get scaredWhy a third of closed deals originate from actions taken 12–18 months earlierThe 25 post-booking variables that can double or halve lifetime customer valueWhy "cost to sell" has 100 definitions across 100 companies — and none are rightThe dark funnel and LLM search: why 90% of the buying process is invisibleForward-looking vs. backward-looking signals: product telemetry, adoption, and renewal predictionThe nine customer behavior changes that every growth investment ultimately drivesWhy documenting assumptions — not just measuring outcomes — is the key to continuous improvementTreatment models and customer experience: why no one can answer "what does a good CX cost?"Share of wallet and account penetration: the massive untapped opportunity most orgs can't quantifyStephen Diorio on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-diorio-1339011/Revenue Operations (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Revenue-Operations-Stephen-Diorio/dp/1119871115 Weflow: https://www.getweflow.com RevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/community RevOps Letter: https://www.getweflow.com/revopsletter Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:32) Stephen's Background & Why He Wrote the RevOps Book (00:02:45) The Math of Growth: Why It's One Big Equation (00:03:25) Growth Assets: Brands, Data, Channels — and Why No One Values Them (00:05:10) Why Financial Accounting Fails Go-To-Market (00:07:10) Cost to Sell: 100 Companies, 100 Definitions (00:09:35) Walking Through the Bow Tie: Top of Funnel to Post-Sale (00:11:40) Why We Overplay Conversion Rates and Underplay the Dark Funnel (00:13:00) The Back End of the Bow Tie: Where CFOs Get Scared (00:15:10) Reliable Cash Flow as the North Star Metric (00:16:00) Account Penetration & Share of Wallet: The Untapped Opportunity (00:18:10) Treatment Models: What Does a Good Customer Experience Actually Cost? (00:20:05) Reliable vs. Accurate Revenue: Why Sandbagging Kills Forecasting (00:22:30) The Scientific Method: Document Assumptions, Then Test and Adjust (00:26:35) Dark Funnel, LLM Search & Why 90% of Buying Is Invisible (00:30:05) Forward-Looking Signals: Product Telemetry and Adoption Data (00:32:05) The Nine Customer Behavior Changes That Every Growth Investment Drives (00:35:25) Brand as an Asset: Touch Points, Awareness, and Future Option Value (00:37:05) Book Recommendation: The Goal by Eli Goldratt

Franco Anzini, a seasoned revenue operations leader with experience across companies of all stages and go-to-market motions, joins Janis and Philipp to talk about a principle that doesn't show up on any dashboard: stay close to where the money changes hands. Franco shares why RevOps professionals need to step away from the data, get into the field, and understand the art behind the science — and how that context is what ultimately separates tactical operators from strategic leaders.We cover:What "stay close to where the money changes hands" means in practice for RevOpsWhy data alone doesn't tell the full story — and how field context fills the gapPractical ways to get into the field: joining sales calls, attending QBRs, shadowing repsWhy salespeople are almost always thrilled when RevOps wants to join their meetingsHow understanding the customer journey end-to-end makes RevOps more strategicThe churn example: when health scores looked great but customers still leftWhy the current market shift — from ZIRP to AI-first — demands even more field contextCareer pathing from RevOps to COO or CRO: why business context is the missing ingredientWhen to roll up your sleeves vs. when to step back: signals and time managementUsing conversation intelligence and transcripts as a complement — not a replacement — for field presenceWhy conferences are the fastest way to absorb dozens of live sales interactionsFranco Anzini on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoanzini Weflow: https://www.getweflow.com RevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/community RevOps Letter: https://www.getweflow.com/revopsletter Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:35) Franco's Background in Revenue Operations (00:02:12) What "Stay Close to Where the Money Changes Hands" Means (00:05:40) Tactics for Getting Into the Field (00:09:00) Why RevOps Should Join Sales Calls — and Why Reps Love It (00:11:45) Understanding the Full Customer Journey as RevOps (00:14:00) Career Pathing: From RevOps to COO and CRO (00:15:55) Real Example: When Health Scores Lied About Churn (00:19:00) The Changing Market Context: ZIRP to AI-First Era (00:21:30) How Field Context Makes RevOps More Strategic (00:22:45) When to Roll Up Your Sleeves — and When Not To (00:25:20) Time Partitioning: SKOs, QBRs & Natural Touchpoints (00:26:50) Conversation Intelligence as a Complement to Field Presence (00:27:45) Fast Track: Join Salespeople at Conferences (00:28:45) Advice for Overwhelmed RevOps Teams (00:30:50) Book Recommendation: Legacy by James Kerr

In dieser Episode sprechen Janis und Philipp mit Navin Persaud, VP of Revenue Operations bei 1Password, über eine der aktuell meistdiskutierten Fragen im RevOps: Sollte man GTM-Tools im Zeitalter von AI kaufen oder selbst bauen? Navin bringt dabei die Perspektive aus fünf Jahren RevOps-Führung bei einem Security-Unternehmen mit über 400 Millionen US-Dollar Umsatz ein und ordnet sehr klar ein, wo AI heute echten Mehrwert schafft – und wo schnell gehypte, „vibe-coded“ Eigenbauten eher neue Risiken als echte Fortschritte erzeugen.Im Mittelpunkt steht die Frage, warum das RevOps-Team von 1Password konsequent auf Konfigurieren statt Customizing setzt und weshalb Eigenentwicklungen nur in ausgewählten Fällen sinnvoll sind. Navin erklärt, warum AI für ihn vor allem ein starkes Werkzeug für Prototyping, Tests und Experimente ist, aber kein Ersatz für tragende Kernsysteme. Außerdem geht es darum, wie AI helfen kann, Daten und Erkenntnisse im gesamten Go-to-Market-Team zu demokratisieren, statt Wissen nur in Spezialfunktionen zu konzentrieren.Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt der Folge liegt auf den aus seiner Sicht wichtigsten AI-Anwendungsfällen im RevOps: agentische Suche, Datenanreicherung und Natural-Language-Queries. Navin beschreibt außerdem, warum gerade unstrukturierte Daten wie E-Mails, Gesprächsnotizen, Call-Transkripte und Deal Notes zu den größten ungenutzten Ressourcen im GTM gehören – und warum eine gute Datenvereinheitlichung die Basis dafür ist, dass AI in der Praxis überhaupt sinnvoll arbeiten kann.Darüber hinaus sprechen die drei über das Orchestrierungs-Mindset: RevOps sollte sich nicht als Werkzeugbauer verstehen, sondern eher als Dirigent eines Tech-Stacks, der vorhandene Systeme intelligent zusammenführt. Auch die Debatte rund um die sogenannte „SaaSpocalypse“ wird aufgegriffen – also die Frage, was AI gerade mit SaaS-Bewertungen macht und warum vor allem Unternehmen gefährdet sind, die nur auf einzelne Features statt auf echte Plattform- oder Orchestrierungsvorteile setzen.Zusätzlich geht es um die Risiken von Build-it-yourself-Ansätzen in größeren Unternehmen, insbesondere mit Blick auf Compliance, Governance und Security. Navin erklärt, warum mehrschichtige Datenanreicherungs-Stacks mit vielen einzelnen Providern langfristig kaum tragfähig sind und weshalb Signal Stacking sowie eine starke Orchestrierungsebene am Ende zu einem echten strategischen Vorteil werden können. Zum Schluss teilt er mit „Crawl, Walk, Run“ einen pragmatischen Rahmen, wie RevOps-Teams AI schrittweise und sinnvoll einführen können.Eine starke Folge für alle, die AI im Revenue-Umfeld nicht nur als Buzzword sehen wollen, sondern verstehen möchten, wo AI im GTM heute wirklich skaliert, wo Grenzen liegen und wie moderne RevOps-Teams sinnvoll zwischen Kaufen, Konfigurieren und Bauen unterscheiden.Links:Navin Persaud auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navinpersaud/Weflow: https://www.getweflow.comRevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/communityRevOps Letter: https://www.getweflow.com/revopsletterJanis auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszechPhilipp auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerKapitel:00:00:00 – Introduction00:00:38 – Navin's Background: From IBM Sales to VP of RevOps00:02:06 – Buy vs. Build: The LinkedIn Hype vs. Reality00:04:27 – AI for Prototyping, Not Replacing Core Systems00:08:10 – Harvesting Unstructured Data for Go-To-Market Insights00:09:05 – Data Unification as the Foundation for AI00:11:35 – The Orchestration Mindset: Conductor, Not Carpenter00:14:25 – AI as the Glue for Your Go-To-Market Tech Stack00:15:15 – When Building Makes Sense: Early Stage vs. Scale00:17:55 – Top AI Use Cases: Agentic Search, Enrichment & Insight Democratization00:19:30 – The SaaSpocalypse: Feature Companies at Risk00:21:05 – The Data Enrichment Consolidation Problem00:24:00 – Crawl, Walk, Run: Practical AI Adoption Advice00:27:30 – Book Recommendation & Wrap-Up

Ross Graber, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, joins Philipp to unpack findings from Forrester's latest C-suite alignment study. Based on feedback from over 130 C-level marketing, sales, and customer leaders, the study reveals how alignment — or the lack of it — directly impacts customer value, resource efficiency, and revenue performance. Together, they explore why C-suite leaders feel aligned while their operational teams often aren't, and what RevOps can do to close that gap.We cover:Key findings from Forrester's C-suite alignment study across 130+ leadersWhy aligned organizations grow faster — and why customers feel misalignment firstThe two biggest alignment blockers: unstable corporate strategy and cultural obstaclesWhy C-suite leaders feel aligned but operational teams often aren'tHow misaligned incentives between marketing and sales create friction at the team levelThe resource cost of misalignment: why 1+1 can equal 0.5 when teams pull in different directionsAnnual planning pitfalls and why adaptive planning structures matterHow RevOps can use data and neutrality to drive cross-functional alignmentThe buyer journey perspective: why internal process shouldn't override buyer needsA practical tip: walk through your own company's buyer journey to find what's brokenRoss Graber on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rgraber/Weflow: https://www.getweflow.com RevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/community RevOps Letter: https://www.getweflow.com/revopsletter Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters:(00:00:00) Introduction(00:00:55) Ross's Role at Forrester & the Alignment Study(00:03:10) Key Finding: Alignment Drives Customer Value First(00:07:25) Top Alignment Blockers: Strategy & Culture(00:10:40) Annual Planning & Why Plans Break Under Pressure(00:12:00) C-Suite Feels Aligned — But Operational Teams Don't(00:14:05) Misaligned Incentives Between Marketing & Sales(00:17:05) Translating C-Suite Alignment to Operational Execution(00:19:45) Internal Ripple Effects: Trust, Turnover & Turf Wars(00:22:00) RevOps as the Neutral Party: Leading with Data(00:23:15) The Resource Cost of Misalignment(00:26:15) Why Buyer-Centric Processes Beat Internal Efficiency(00:29:30) Practical Tip: Walk Your Own Buyer Journey(00:30:15) Closing: RevOps' Unique Position to Drive Alignment

Alexander Müller, Founder of Revenue Enablement and one of Germany's most recognized RevOps voices, joins Philipp for his second appearance on the RevOps Lab — over 100 episodes after being the very first guest on the show. Together, they jam on the AI use cases that are reshaping go-to-market execution right now and what that means for how RevOps teams should be built going forward.We cover: How AI use cases in RevOps have evolved — from Clay-era enrichment to agent orchestration Top-of-funnel automation: what's working, what's overhyped, and why calling still wins Why RevOps is the best-positioned team to own AI agents across the GTM org The rise of the go-to-market engineer role and where it fits within RevOps Mid-funnel and post-sale AI use cases: meeting prep, CRM automation, churn signals, and expansion Why data quality and CRM hygiene remain the foundation for any AI strategy The concept of "forward-deployed RevOps" and why it's becoming critical How RevOps team composition is changing: hiring generalists and tool-savvy specialists earlier Why smaller companies now build RevOps teams almost as large as enterprise orgs An XAI job ad that signals where RevOps responsibilities are headingAlexander Müller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-p-mueller/Weflow: https://www.getweflow.comRevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/communityRevOps Letter: https://www.getweflow.com/revopsletterJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszechPhilipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: (00:00:00) Introduction & Welcome Back (00:01:30) Alex's Background: From Banking to €1B AI Exit (00:03:55) AI Use Cases Across the GTM Funnel (00:10:15) Top-of-Funnel: Automating Outbound & Why Calling Still Wins (00:14:00) Human in the Loop: Where AI Hits Its Limits (00:17:00) The Rise of the Go-To-Market Engineer Role (00:19:50) RevOps as the Owner of AI Agents (00:21:45) Mid-Funnel AI: CRM Automation, Meeting Prep & Data Capture (00:24:00) Data Enrichment Workflows That Every Team Can Start Today (00:26:30) Why Data Quality Is Still the #1 Blocker (00:28:00) Forward-Deployed RevOps & the Future of Implementation (00:29:30) Building a RevOps Team Today: New Skill Sets & Roles (00:33:40) Advice for Stressed RevOps Teams (00:34:30) Book Recommendation & Wrap-Up

Ryan Milligan, CRO at QuotaPath, joins Janis and Philipp to talk about how compensation planning can be used as a strategic lever to drive company performance. With a background in RevOps and four years of scaling QuotaPath from the inside, Ryan shares why comp plans shouldn't be a last-minute sidecar in December — but a core part of how you plan and execute your revenue strategy all year long.We cover: Why RevOps leaders are well-suited to become CROs How to use your comp plan to drive the right revenue behaviors across your GTM team The annual comp planning calendar: when to start, what to do, and how to roll it out Why comp planning is the most strategic project RevOps can own Quota attainment benchmarks: why 90% coverage beats the old 80% model How smaller, high-performing teams are closing more revenue per rep Designing accelerators and deal-level kickers that actually change behavior The "spike test": how QuotaPath went from 15% to 80% multi-year deals in one quarter SDR comp architecture: balancing quantity and quality metrics Variable comp splits for CS, Sales Engineering, and RevOps rolesRyan Milligan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanemilligan/Weflow: https://www.getweflow.comRevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/communityRevOps Letter: https://www.getweflow.com/revopsletterJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszechPhilipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:30) Ryan's Path from RevOps to CRO (00:05:10) Comp Planning as a Strategic Lever (00:09:00) Treating Comp Plans as Dynamic, Not Static (00:11:10) The Annual Comp Planning Calendar (00:15:00) Why Comp Planning is RevOps' Most Strategic Project (00:17:10) Quota Attainment Benchmarks & Coverage Models (00:20:00) Smaller Teams, Higher Productivity & AI's Role (00:22:40) Key Behaviors to Drive with a Comp Plan (00:27:00) Philipp's Recap: Core Comp Plan Principles (00:29:30) Aligning BDRs, AEs & AMs to Strategic Goals (00:30:30) The Spike Test: Changing Behavior with Bold Accelerators (00:34:10) Quick Fire: SDR Comp, Payment Timing & CS Splits (00:38:00) Book Recommendation & Wrap-Up

In this episode, we dive into exclusive data from Insight Partners’ latest survey of over 200 B2B SaaS CROs. Jeremey Donovan shares what differentiates top-performing revenue organizations from the average, covering everything from org structure and hiring traits to the surprising trends in outbound sales and AI adoption.What you’ll learn in this episode:CRO Scope & Focus: Why top-performing CROs focus strictly on New Logo and Expansion revenue rather than owning Marketing or Customer Success.The Outbound SDR Surprise: Contrary to market trends, data shows high-growth companies are expanding their outbound teams—Jeremey explains why and when this works.Hiring Top Talent: The hierarchy of intrinsic traits (Grit, Intelligence) vs. experience, and why "similar deal size" matters more than vertical experience.RevOps Reporting Lines: Why 90% of top performers keep Sales Ops directly under the Sales Leader.AI in 2026: shifting focus from top-of-funnel automation to mid- and bottom-funnel use cases like opportunity risk and expansion.Jeremey Donovan on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremeydonovan/ Weflow: https://getweflow.comRevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/community RevOps Resources: https://getweflow.com/revops Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer (00:00:00) Introduction and the Insight Partners CRO Survey(00:04:39) How broad should a CRO’s role be? (Commercial vs. Functional ownership)(00:09:24) Where Partnerships and RevOps sit in top-performing orgs(00:17:21) The surprising data on Outbound SDRs in 2025/2026(00:26:23) Hiring criteria: Grit, Intelligence, and the "Experience" trap(00:40:24) The shift of AI: From email writing to Deal Risk & Post-Sales(00:47:15) Book & Podcast recommendations

Sarabeth Scott joins Janis and Philipp to break down what great board reporting actually looks like — and which metrics boards really care about across Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success. Drawing from her experience as a RevOps leader at companies like Camunda, Talkwalker, and Upkeep, and her recent move into growth equity, Sarabeth shares a practical framework built around the questions boards consistently ask.The conversation focuses on consistency, context, and why RevOps is uniquely positioned to connect metrics, narrative, and strategy at the board level.We cover: Why board reporting should be built around questions — not dashboards The importance of consistency in board metrics and reporting formats Core sales questions boards care about: hitting targets, future performance, and efficiency How to think about pipeline coverage beyond generic “3–5x” rules Quota attainment, capacity planning, and average rep productivity Why CAC payback, GRR, and NRR matter more than ever Marketing metrics that matter at board level: pipeline generation, quality, and efficiencySarabeth Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbscott/Weflow: https://getweflow.comRevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/communityRevOps Resources: https://getweflow.com/revopsJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszechPhilipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: (00:00:00) Intro & Meet Sarabeth (00:01:30) From Operator to Growth Equity (00:03:15) Why Board Reporting Is a RevOps Problem (00:04:50) Consistency, Narrative & Board Expectations (00:07:40) Sales Metrics: Targets, Pipeline & Forecasting (00:11:00) Pipeline Coverage: Context Matters (00:13:50) Quota Attainment, Capacity & Rep Productivity (00:18:50) Retention, NRR & Expansion Economics (00:21:30) Marketing Metrics Boards Actually Care About (00:25:20) Outbound, Pipeline Sources & Segmentation (00:28:45) Customer Success Metrics & Health Scores (00:31:00) Why NPS Is Easy to Game (00:32:10) The Strategic Role of RevOps in Board Reporting (00:35:50) Data Foundations, AI & Final Takeaways (00:36:30) Recommendation & Closing

Is RevOps becoming "GTM Engineering"? In this episode, Philip and Janus sit down with Lindsay Roethlisberger, VP of Revenue Operations at Zapier, to discuss the massive shift happening in the industry.Zapier operates at the intersection of a massive high-velocity PLG model and a growing Enterprise sales motion. Lindsay shares how she is restructuring her team to handle this complexity, moving away from functional silos to funnel-focused pods. We dive deep into the debate around the "GTM Engineer" role, how AI is unlocking unstructured data, and why RevOps needs to balance the tension between building perfect systems and experimenting fast.What you will learn in this episode:The "Explore vs. Exploit" Tension: Why RevOps teams need to balance building scalable foundations (precision) with rapid experimentation (speed) to win in today's market.Restructuring for Growth: How Zapier shifted from task-based roles (e.g., email ops) to funnel-based ownership (Inbound vs. Outbound pods).The Rise of the GTM Engineer: Is it just a buzzword? Lindsay explains how this technical role is orchestrating signals, enrichment, and systems to power modern outbound strategies.Unlocking Unstructured Data: How to use AI to mine call transcripts and emails for hidden objections and strategic insights that standard reporting misses.The RevOps Advantage: Why organizational context remains the biggest competitive advantage for RevOps leaders.Lindsay Roethlisberger on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-rothlisberger/ Weflow: https://getweflow.com RevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/community RevOps Resources: https://getweflow.com/revops Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer Chapters:(00:00:00) Introduction(00:01:23) Welcome & Lindsay’s background at Zapier(00:03:03) Managing PLG and Sales-Led motions in RevOps(00:06:22) The "RevOps is changing" LinkedIn post(00:08:40) The tension: Reactive work vs. Strategic projects(00:10:23) Restructuring the team: From functional silos to funnel pods(00:12:46) Defining the GTM Engineer role(00:16:04) Orchestration: GTM Engineers vs. Marketers(00:21:17) The shift to signal-based outbound(00:24:40) Using AI for unstructured data (calls & emails)(00:27:28) Explore vs. Exploit: Balancing experimentation and scale(00:32:15) Book/Course Recommendation: Winning by Design

<p>Janis and Philipp close out 2025 with a special end-of-year episode of the RevOps Lab Podcast. With no guest on the show, they reflect on what the past 12 months looked like for RevOps Lab, the RevOps community, and Weflow &mdash; sharing key learnings, growth metrics, and what&rsquo;s coming next.</p><p>They walk through podcast highlights, audience stats, community milestones, product progress, and why data quality remains the foundation for any AI strategy going into 2026.</p><p><strong>We cover:</strong></p><ul> <li>A recap of RevOps Lab in 2025 and why this year was a major milestone</li> <li>Podcast growth: episodes, audience expansion, and global reach</li> <li>The most listened-to and most discussed episodes of the year</li> <li>Listener stats, countries reached, and surprising Spotify insights</li> <li>Highlights from RevOps Chat and how the community scaled in months</li> <li>Why community-led learning matters for RevOps professionals</li> <li>Key product milestones at Weflow and major AI-driven feature investments</li> <li>What worked &mdash; and what didn&rsquo;t &mdash; across content, product, and community</li> <li>Why AI only works with strong data foundations</li> <li>What Janis and Philipp are planning for RevOps Lab, the community, and Weflow in 2026</li></ul><p> <strong>Weflow:</strong> <a href="https://getweflow.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://getweflow.com</a><br> <strong>RevOps Chat Community:</strong> <a href="https://getweflow.com/community" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://getweflow.com/community</a><br> <strong>RevOps Resources:</strong> <a href="https://getweflow.com/revops" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://getweflow.com/revops</a><br> <strong>Janis on LinkedIn:</strong> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech</a><br> <strong>Philipp on LinkedIn:</strong> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer</a></p><p><strong>Chapters:</strong></p><ul> <li>(00:00:00) Intro &amp; End-of-Year Episode</li> <li>(00:02:02) Why 2025 Was a Big Year for RevOps Lab</li> <li>(00:03:23) Podcast Stats: Episodes, Growth &amp; Global Reach</li> <li>(00:04:56) Most Listened &amp; Most Discussed Episodes</li> <li>(00:06:15) Audience Insights &amp; Fun Spotify Stats</li> <li>(00:07:04) Personal Highlights &amp; Favorite Guest Moments</li> <li>(00:08:09) Launching and Scaling the RevOps Chat Community</li> <li>(00:09:46) Why Community-Led Learning Matters</li> <li>(00:10:29) Product Progress at Weflow in 2025</li> <li>(00:11:52) AI, Automation &amp; Data Foundations</li> <li>(00:14:26) Lessons Learned from Content, Community &amp; Product</li> <li>(00:15:35) What&rsquo;s Planned for 2026</li> <li>(00:16:53) How to Get Involved &amp; Share Feedback</li> <li>(00:18:01) Closing &amp; Year-End Message</li></ul>

Spencer Hardy, VP of Operations at HG Insights, joins Janis and Philipp to talk about the hidden cost of bad data and how misaligned definitions quietly break go-to-market execution. Together, they unpack why data quality is less a tooling problem and more an alignment problem — and how ICP, segmentation, and shared definitions impact everything from planning to execution to company valuation.We cover: Why bad data is fundamentally a definition and alignment problem The “executive tax” created by misaligned reporting and endless boardroom debates How inconsistent ICP and segmentation break GTM alignment Early warning signs that indicate data misalignment across teams The operational drag caused by poor territory design and handoff friction Why RevOps plays a critical role in unifying Sales, Marketing, CS, and Product How bad data impacts forecasting, productivity, and resource allocation Why data quality and segmentation matter in M&A and valuation discussions Where companies should start before buying new toolsSpencer Hardy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-hardey-mba-23354115/ Weflow: https://getweflow.com RevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/community RevOps Resources: https://getweflow.com/revops Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: (00:00:00) Intro & Meet Spencer (00:01:58) Spencer’s Background & RevOps Journey (00:03:45) The Real Cost of Bad Data (00:05:22) The Executive Tax Explained (00:07:49) Early Signals of Data Misalignment (00:11:06) Operational Drag: Territories, Handoffs & ICP (00:13:59) Where to Start Fixing Data Problems (00:17:09) ICP, Segmentation & Executive Alignment (00:22:19) Bad Data, Valuation & M&A Risk (00:27:06) Multiple ICPs, Products & GTM Complexity (00:31:04) From Market Analysis to Account-Level Execution (00:36:30) Book Recommendation: The Sales Acceleration Formula (00:38:25) Closing

Laura Fu joins Janis and Philipp to talk about her new book Designing for Excellence, and how Sales Enablement is transforming inside an AI-native world. Laura breaks down the core principles of effective enablement, the flywheel every GTM team needs, and what changes when AI becomes part of the daily workflow.We cover: Why she wrote the book Designing for Excellence The core principles of modern sales enablement Lagging vs. leading metrics — and why pipeline creation is the #1 indicator of rep productivity How to identify, measure, and coach the behaviors that matter The Sales Enablement Flywheel: content, programs, tools, analytics What “AI-native enablement” looks like in real GTM workflows How real-time feedback loops transform programs and content What organizations need to change to adopt AI successfully Where to start when introducing AI into Sales Enablement Laura’s recommended books & mindset shifts for operatorsLaura Fu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurazfu/ Weflow: https://getweflow.com RevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/community RevOps Resources: https://getweflow.com/revops Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters:(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Laura(00:01:07) Why Laura Wrote Designing for Excellence(00:04:02) What It Means to Be an AI-Native Company(00:05:24) Structuring the Book: 5 Sections Explained(00:07:14) The Core Principles of Sales Enablement(00:11:26) The #1 Leading Indicator: Pipeline Creation(00:15:16) Discovery, New-Business Meetings & Rep Behaviors(00:18:44) The Enablement Flywheel: Content, Programs, Tools(00:20:34) How AI Creates a Closed-Loop Feedback System(00:23:47) Real-Time Coaching & Adaptive Content(00:27:04) What It Takes to Become AI-Native(00:28:59) Organizational Change & Leadership Mindset(00:31:48) Where Enablement Teams Should Start(00:36:27) Book Recommendation: The Courage to Be Disliked(00:38:32) Closing

Richard Harris, sales advisor, trainer, and founder of the Harris Consulting Group, joins Philipp and Janis to talk about what truly separates elite sellers from the rest. Richard shares his frameworks for coaching, running better pipeline conversations, improving forecast accuracy, and creating an environment where sales and RevOps actually partner.We cover: • What top-performing reps do differently • How to coach around pipeline, qualification, and stalled deals • Why “gut feeling” selling breaks forecasting • The questions leaders should ask in every deal review • How RevOps and sales can build trust instead of tension • Why better data ≠ better selling (and what actually moves the needle) • How to improve pipeline hygiene without overwhelming reps • The mindset shift leaders need to build accountable teams • Practical exercises for managers to level up their coachingRichard Harris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rharris415Weflow: https://getweflow.comRevOps Chat Community: https://getweflow.com/communityRevOps Resources: https://getweflow.com/revopsJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszechPhilipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters:(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Richard(00:02:18) What Elite Sellers Do Differently(00:06:41) Coaching Reps Beyond “Gut Feeling”(00:10:24) Red Flags in Pipeline & Qualification(00:13:23) Practical Questions for Deal Reviews(00:17:54) Building Trust Between Sales & RevOps(00:21:35) Improving Pipeline Hygiene at Scale(00:26:40) Why Better Data Doesn’t Fix Everything(00:31:15) Leadership, Accountability & Team Culture(00:36:02) Book Recs & Final Thoughts

This week, something different: Janis joins Laura Fu, Co-Host of State of the AI Union, to talk about the intersection of AI, GTM, and RevOps. Together, they explore how AI is transforming revenue execution—from pipeline generation to forecasting and customer experience—and what leaders should focus on today to stay ahead.We cover: • How AI is reshaping GTM and RevOps fundamentals • The shift from reactive reporting to predictive revenue intelligence • Why RevOps sits at the center of AI adoption • Where AI can automate repetitive GTM workflows today • How human judgment and machine insights should work together • Real examples of AI-augmented pipeline and forecast processes • What leaders can do now to prepare their teams for AI-first operationsListen to “State of the AI Union” with Laura Fu:https://open.spotify.com/show/17tYS2pWZY6LEwI70hw5CFLaura Fu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurazfu/Weflow: getweflow.comRevOps Chat Community: getweflow.com/communityRevOps Resources: getweflow.com/revopsJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszechPhilipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters:(00:00:00) Meet Janis & Laura(00:01:40) Navigating the GTM & AI Intersection(00:07:04) Leveraging AI Across the Revenue Cycle(00:12:13) Automating Forecasting & Deal Hygiene(00:19:40) How AI Will Change RevOps in the Next 3 Years(00:25:00) Leadership, Mindset & Adoption Challenges(00:29:10) The Future of AI-Driven GTM

Janis and Philipp break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of annual planning. From late starts and siloed workflows to unrealistic capacity models and poor communication loops, they share what goes wrong in most companies – and how to fix it.We cover:• The most common annual planning pitfalls – and how to avoid them • Late starts, top-down targets, and siloed processes • Why RevOps should take the lead in annual planning • How to align FP&A, HR, and GTM leadership • The impact of capacity planning, ramp time, and attrition • Building realistic hiring and pipeline generation models • The importance of cross-functional workshops and continuous planning • How to move from static annual planning to adaptive executionWeflow: getweflow.comRevOps Chat Community: getweflow.com/communityRevOps Resources: getweflow.com/revopsJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszechPhilipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters:(00:00:00) Intro & Why Annual Planning Is Broken(00:02:19) Common Pitfalls: Late Starts & Siloed Processes(00:04:42) Why RevOps Should Lead Annual Planning(00:06:51) The Role of FP&A, HR & Leadership Alignment(00:08:54) Timelines, Ownership & the Cost of Starting Late(00:11:10) Capacity Planning, Ramp Time & Hiring Models(00:15:02) Pipeline Generation & Continuous Adjustments(00:19:24) Running Cross-Functional Planning Workshops(00:22:25) Setting Realistic Scenarios (Best, Base, Worst Case)(00:25:10) Board Sign-Off & Execution Cadences(00:27:00) Final Thoughts & Cheat Sheet Recommendation

Kunal Pathak, Director of Deal Strategy & Operations at ServiceNow, joins Philipp to unpack what it really takes to run a world-class Deal Desk. With experience building deal operations at Salesforce, DocuSign, and now ServiceNow, Kunal shares how the function evolved from a transactional back office into a strategic control tower for revenue execution.We cover:- What a Deal Desk is and how it’s evolved into a strategic function- When it’s time to introduce Deal Desk (hint: when your CEO reviews every deal)- Balancing governance and deal velocity: the CFO vs. CRO charter- Why a bad policy is one that creates constant exceptions- The 70/30 rule: when to automate vs. when to go high-touch- The ideal team setup and where Deal Desk should sit (Finance vs. Sales)- How to collaborate with Legal, Finance, and Pricing Strategy- Building commercial constructs that make it easy to buy- Using AI and automation to move from reactive to proactive deal strategy- How to start a Deal Desk from scratch—and what to prioritize firstKunal Pathak on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunal-pathak-66b27317/ Weflow: ⁠getweflow.com⁠RevOps Chat Community: ⁠getweflow.com/community⁠ RevOps resources: ⁠getweflow.com/revops⁠ Janis on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech⁠ Philipp on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer Chapters:(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Kunal(00:02:29) What Is a Deal Desk and Why It Matters(00:06:58) When to Introduce Deal Desk(00:09:15) Top Challenges When Setting Up the Function(00:11:21) Balancing Governance and Deal Velocity(00:14:27) Policies, Exceptions & the 70/30 Rule(00:16:06) Where Deal Desk Should Sit (RevOps vs. Finance)(00:18:38) Building the Right Team & Hiring Profiles(00:21:20) Legal Collaboration & Ownership Boundaries(00:24:48) Partnering with Pricing Strategy(00:27:59) Value Engineering and Deal Economics(00:30:12) The Future of Deal Desk – AI & Automation(00:35:30) How to Start a Deal Desk From Scratch(00:37:01) The First Hire & Key Priorities(00:40:01) Resources, Books & Final Thoughts

Tessa Whittaker, VP of Revenue Operations at ZoomInfo, joins Janis Zech to discuss the critical challenge of shifting to an AI-First mindset within the RevOps function. Many leaders feel pressure due to the AI hype, but how do you ensure your teams implement the technology effectively? Tessa shares her proprietary RevOps Maturity Scale, a framework that identifies the operational foundation (systematization and process discipline) required before AI can be successfully deployed to boost upstream RevOps team efficiency.    She reveals how her team at ZoomInfo—a multi-billion-dollar valuation company with over a billion in ARR—transformed their roadmap prioritization and requirements gathering process using AI agents. This strategy helps them eliminate "human behavior" and resource fights, leading to maximum execution speed.   We discuss:Why manual processes and poor data are the biggest roadblocks to successful AI implementation (Garbage In, Garbage Out).    Tessa's RevOps Maturity Scale (0 to 5), and why AI-Augmented Workflows only begin at Step 3.    How to build Operational Excellence as the foundation for AI (Ad Hoc → Manual but Defined → Systematized Rigor → Agentic Assistance).    The RevOps team structure at ZoomInfo: How Sales Operations, Business Process (Product Managers), and Revenue Technology collaborate.    The transformation of the RevOps Roadmap process: Moving from firefighting to data-driven stack ranking of strategic initiatives.    The use of an AI Agent for Requirements Gathering and generating Prioritization Scores to end subjective resource battles with stakeholders.    How to coach Internal Stakeholders to bring problems instead of prescribed solutions, and how AI facilitates this shift.    Tessa’s Hackathon strategy to mandate an AI-First mindset across the RevOps team and build internal efficiency agents.    Mallory Lee on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-whittaker-44903940/ Weflow: ⁠getweflow.com⁠RevOps Chat Community: ⁠getweflow.com/community⁠RevOps resources: ⁠getweflow.com/revops⁠Janis on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech⁠Philipp on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters:(00:00:00) Introduction and Welcoming Tessa(00:01:52) Tessa's Career Path: From Executive Assistant to VP of RevOps (00:03:16) The RevOps Team Structure at ZoomInfo (Sales Ops, Business Process, RevTech) (00:06:19) Introducing the RevOps AI Maturity Scale (00:08:43) Steps 0 through 5: From Ad Hoc to Autonomous Operations (00:10:45) The necessity of Operational Excellence as an AI prerequisite (00:16:03) The RevOps reality before systematization (Chaos and Firefighting) (00:21:44) Building Systematized Rigor: Central intake, JIRA, and capacity measurement (00:26:40) Dealing with noise and Fire Drills: How centralized stack ranking eliminates resource fights (00:35:17) The AI-First Leap: Transforming the RevOps Roadmap process with AI (00:37:50) The AI Agent for Requirements Gathering: Eliminating time-consuming meetings (00:40:24) How the AI agent calculates Prioritization Scores for dynamic sprint planning (00:43:39) Additional AI Use Cases: Process documentation, slide generation, and monitoring (00:44:40) The Hackathon Strategy to instill an AI-First mindset in the team (00:46:10) Community Recommendations: The value of a tight-knit expert network

Mallory Lee, VP of RevOps at PhoneBurner, returns to the show to talk about one of the most painful but critical topics in sales: CRM hygiene. From missed updates and bloated pipelines to forecasting gaps and trust issues, Mallory shares how automation and AI can remove manual work for reps and bring accuracy back to the pipeline. We cover: The ripple effects of poor deal hygiene on pipeline councils & forecast calls Why manual CRM updates erode trust in data and dashboards How to automate activity capture across emails, meetings, and contacts Using AI to extract insights from calls and transcripts (SPICE, “why now / why not”) Automating opportunity stages, forecast categories, and contact statuses Why separating process (stage) from judgment (forecast category) matters How automation accelerates pipeline conversations and improves trust Links & Resources Mallory Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorylee/ Weflow: getweflow.com RevOps Chat Community: getweflow.com/community RevOps resources: getweflow.com/revops Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer Chapters (00:00:00) Intro & Catching Up with Mallory (00:02:42) The Ripple Effects of Poor Deal Hygiene (00:07:00) Forecasting Challenges & Finance vs. Sales Models (00:10:45) Automating CRM Updates at PhoneBurner (00:15:30) AI Insights: From SPICE to “Why Now / Why Not” (00:21:00) The Black Box of SMS, WhatsApp & Slack (00:24:50) Automating Contact Status & Pipeline Generation (00:29:00) Expansion, Renewals & Onboarding Automation (00:32:10) How Automation Changes Pipeline Councils (00:34:45) Book Recs, Community & Closing

In this episode:Laura Cross, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, joins Janis and Philipp to unpack the shift from annual to continuous planning. Laura shares why static, one-and-done plans don’t work in today’s fast-changing environment and how RevOps can take the lead in building adaptive, customer-centric planning processes.We cover: Why annual planning often creates misalignment and mistrust The rise of continuous, “always-on” planning cycles How to balance board-level compliance with GTM agility Common pitfalls: siloed planning, unrealistic timelines, political dynamics Why putting the customer at the center fixes more than process RevOps as the facilitator of sync & sequence across functions Practical steps to operationalize strategy through revenue cadencesLinks: Laura Cross on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauracross Weflow: getweflow.com RevOps Chat Community: getweflow.com/community RevOps resources: getweflow.com/revops Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: (00:00:00) Intro & Meet Laura (00:02:10) Annual vs. Continuous Planning – The Shift (00:05:30) Why Annual Planning Fails in Practice (00:09:20) Misalignment, Finger-Pointing & Trust Issues (00:14:15) The Role of RevOps in Sync & Sequence (00:19:00) Overhead, Culture & Mindset Shifts (00:24:30) From Strategy to Execution: Revenue Cadences (00:29:40) Final Thoughts & Forrester Resources